Last year was the world's hottest on record. Earth's three hottest years on record have been 2016, 2015 and 2014. Around Australia, ocean temperatures were the warmest on record.

Soon a huge iceberg is going to break off the Antarctic. A long time rift suddenly grew in December. It is widely accepted by scientists that this rift has been accelerated by climate change. Once this iceberg breaks off, there will be further significant disintegration of the Antarctic ice sheet.

Within the next few months, this great iceberg - around 5000 square kilometres (twice the size of the ACT) is poised to break away from the Larsen C ice shelf in the Antarctic. It will bring the ice front to the most retreated position in recorded history.

With further break-up of the ice-shelf, the gates for glaciers, more glaciers will flow into the ocean. In the longer term, the result of this could lead to a sea levels rise of rise 10 centimetres.